On Sunday, Feb. 25, members and friends of Gilroy’s First
Baptist Church welcomed their new pastor.
 That morning he preached his first sermon for the congregation
at 8455 Wren Avenue.
On Sunday, Feb. 25, members and friends of Gilroy’s First Baptist Church welcomed their new pastor. That morning he preached his first sermon for the congregation at 8455 Wren Avenue.
The Rev. Timothy Howe, 36, was born in Detroit, Mich. He grew up in Texas in a family with a strong Christian influence because his father was a pastor of a local church.
When he finished high school, Howe was interested in a career as an engineer or architect and entered East Texas Baptist University in Marshall, Texas, as a mathematics major. Like many youth who grew up as “preachers’ kids,” he was looking forward to secular employment.
Sometime between his sophomore and junior years in college, however, he experienced some “profound moments” and realized that God was calling him to the ordained ministry, a move already made by his twin brother, Tom.
Howe changed his major to Christian Ministries and History. After graduation, he spent five years serving ministerial internships as a youth pastor in Texas and Novato, Calif.
While at a church in Marin County, Howe began studying for a theological degree at Golden Gate Baptist Seminary in Mill Valley, but interrupted his studies for some international ministry. But before completing his seminary degree, Pastor Howe traveled to North Africa, learned Arabic, and engaged in ecumenical ministry (with clergy including Anglicans, Baptists and Reformed Christians). In 1999 he met his wife, Kim (who had served as a missionary in Argentina) at a missions conference in Virginia.Â
A brief stint as an interim pastor in San Mateo was followed by more overseas ministry. Serving with the International Mission Board while living in Marseilles, France, he coordinated teams of 8 to 14 missionaries who shared the Gospel with immigrants and native citizens in Spain, Italy, France and Malta. They visited people who wanted to know more about Jesus after having heard of Him on television, through an evangelistic campaign, or by other means.
Pastor Tim and Kim have three children: Nadia, 3, and twins Mateo and Mariel, 19 months. God began to lead the parents to consider returning to the U.S. so that he could begin pastoral ministry with a congregation, but where? They have family in Michigan, Texas and Alabama, but Tim had enjoyed the time he had spent in California.
Just at this time, he heard from a friend about an open position at the Gilroy church. A visit to here in January convinced husband and wife that “this was it; it felt like coming home” because of the hospitality of the church’s representatives and the “family sense of the community.” Gilroy seems like “a great place to bring up kids,” Pastor Tim says.
After his ecumenical and outreach experience, Howe feels that he can help Gilroy FBC continue the tradition of “blessing the community in material and spiritual ways.” He was impressed that a member of the pastor search committee was unable to meet with him during his visit because of a previous commitment to feed the homeless at the National Guard Armory that evening. “There are not many better places to be than being out ministering to peoples’ needs,” he says. Â
Gilroy FBC has Sunday worship services for children and adults in English and Spanish at 10:45am, and they are shown on Gilroy Community Access channel 20 several times each week. For more information call 847-6000 or see the Internet at www.fbcgilroy.org.
Chuck Flagg teaches English at Mt. Madonna High School. Write to him at P.O. Box 22365, Gilroy, Calif. 95021.
